ALEUTIAN ISLANDS INDIANS

CULTURAL SURVIVAL OF THE ALEUTS OF PIRBOLOF ISLANDS IN ALASKA IS ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL. THEY WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR HOMES ON THE ALUETIAN CHAIN TO TWO HUNDRED INHABITED ISLANDS IN THE CENTRAL IN THE CENTRAL BERING SEA. THE PRIBILOF ALEUTS WERE FORCED INTO SERVICE TO KILL SEA MAMMALS TWO COLONIAL REGIMES, FIRST RUSSIA AND THEN U.S, THE ALEUTS WERE A COG IN A WHEEL OF A MASSIVE FUR INDUSTRY THAT LASTED TWO HUNDRED TEARS FROM WHICH THEIR CULTURAL HISTORY DEVELOPED.

THE SEAL HUNTERS ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE GREAT MARITIME RACE OF THE ALEUTS WHO SETTLED ALONG THE ALEUTIANS ARCHIPELAGO, A 1300 KM CHAIN OF ISLANDS THAT EXTEND SOUTH TO ALASKA. RUSSIANS CALLED THEM ALEUTS, BUT THEIR NAME IS CALLED UNANGAN WHICH MEANS THE COAST. THEY MIGRATED ACROSS THE BERING STRAIT BRIDGE FROM ASIA BETWEEN 12,000 TO 15,000 YEARS OLD. AN EARLY ESKIMO ALEUTIAN CULTURE BEGAN TO DEVELOP ABOUT 8000 YEARS AGO IN THE BEARING SEA. THEY LATER BRANCHED TO THE DISTINCTIVE OF CULTURE AND LANGUAGE OF THE UNANGAN ALONG THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. AN ESKIMO CULTURE DEVELOPED AROUND 8000 YEARS AGO AND BRANCHED INTO THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. AN ESKIMO CULTURE DEVELOPED ABOUT 8000 YEARS AGO. THEY LIVED IN SEMI SUBTERRANEAN AND RIGOROUS CLIMATE. THEY POSSESS SPECIAL SKILLS FOR HUNTING MARITIME MAMMALS FROM THEIR KAYAKS. THE RUSSIAN FUR TRADERS WERE HERE AFTER 1750 TO HUNT SEA OTTERS AND SEALS. IN THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF RUSSIAN CONTROL THE ALEUTIANS DIED FROM DISEASES , WARS, MALNUTRITION, AND PRIVATION CAUSED BY THE TRANSPORT OF OF HUNTERS AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND VILLAGES TO HUNT SEA MAMMALS FROM RUSSIANS.

THE ALEUT POPULATIONS IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN 12 TO 15,000. TODAY THERE ARE ABOUT 2,000 ALEUTS AND ONLY 340 SPEAK ALEUT LANGUAGE.

IN 1786 A RUSSIAN MAN, PRIBOLOF, DISCOVERED TWO ISLANDS AND THEY WERE GIVEN HIS NAME. THESE ISLANDS ARE THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF NORTHERN PACIFIC FUR SEALS IN THE WORLD. THE RUSSIAN TRADERS HAD NEARLY ELIMINATED THE SEA OTTER AND WERE SEEKING THE NEXT MOST VALUABLE SOURCE OF FURS. THE DISCOVERY OF THE PRIBOLOFS EXTENDED THE RUSSIAN FUR TRADE IN THE IN AMERICA FOR ANOTHER CENTURY

THE ALEUT HUNTERS WERE TAKEN TO THE ISLANDS OFTEN WITHOUT CHOICE ON A SEASONAL BASIS AND BY THE 1820'S PERMANENT SETTLEMENT WERE ON THE TWO ISLANDS. SEALS WERE KILLED RUTHLESSLY WHEN THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ESTABLISHED A LICENSED FUR SEAL MONOPOLY CONSERVATION OF THE SEALS WAS ENFORCED BY TAKING A ONLY 3 - 5 YEAR OLD NONBREEDING MALES, AND PROHIBITING TAKING ANY FEMALE SEALS.

A GREAT SHOCK CAME TO THE ALEUTS AS THEY LOST THEIR SEA NAVIGATION AND SEA HUNTING SKILLS ON THE PROBILOFS WHEN THEY WERE FORCED INTO A LAND BASED INDUSTRY THAT INTERFERED WITH THEIR TRADITIONAL SUBSISTENCE ACTIVITIES. THE MEN WORKED TO FISH WITH DURING THE SEALING MONTHS. THEY WORKED FOR A COMPANY TO HARVEST SEALS IN ASSEMBLY LINES!

WOMEN AND CHILDREN GATHERED SEAL MEAT LEFT OVER ON THE BEACH TO SALT FOR WINTER USE. DURING WINTER THE MEN HUNTED STELLAR SEA LIONS FROM SHORE. THEY HAD TO HAVE STRICT HUNTING ETHICS AND RESPECT FOR ELDERS. THEIR OTHER FOODS WERE DUCKS REINDEER, HALIBUT AND SEA EGGS. THEY DEVELOPED AN EXISTENCE OF NETWORKS BETWEEN THE PRIBOLOF OF ALEUTS AND THEIR RELATIVES ON THE OTHER ISLANDS.

THE ALEUTS HAD INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR SHAMANS REGARDING HUNTING TABOOS, WEATHER, AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE. SUN AND SEA LIFE WERE SACRED SOURCES OF LIFE. THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH RESPECTED THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. ALL OF THEIR SUBSISTENCE ACTIVITIES RECEIVE THE PRIEST'S BLESSINGS. THE MAIN CHALLENGE WAS AS A LARGE ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT TO TO SEAL KILLING. THERE WERE MANY MEASURES TAKEN. IN 1983 THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WITHDREW $6.2 MILLION ANNUAL ALLOCATION TO THE PRIBILOFS. THEN THE U.S. WITHDREW FROM INTERNATIONAL FUR SEAL TREATY, LEAVING THE NORTHERN FUR SEAL WITHOUT INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY PROTECTION. THEIR LEADERS HAD THE DIFFICULT TASK OF BALANCING TRADITIONAL ALEUT VALUES WITH ELEMENTS OF WESTERN CULTURE THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO MOVE TOWARDS MANAGING AND PLANNING THEIR DESTINY. THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN A SHORT PERIOD MIRACULOUSLY.